Promise
by The Cabbage man's legacy
Summary: Three shot:She stared at the boy covered in blood“Did he do this to you?” she asked her voice shaky. Naruto nodded. “Naruto Why? Why did you save him? Even after he did this to you?" "Because you asked me to"
1. Smile

The blonde boy staggered as he tried to make his way towards the village, the wounds in his legs making it all the more difficult to carry his burden. A fellow Shinobi, Sasuke Uchiha. He looked over his shoulder, not for the first time, to reassure himself that what he was seeing was real. He had Sasuke and he was coming back home. He stifled a groan as he took another step foreword, his body screaming out in pain.

'Just a little further" he told himself 'You just have to last a little longer' was what he kept repeating in his mind as he tried to keep his body moving. To him his pain didn't matter, Sasuke was the top priority, it was his fault that Sasuke was injured and now he had to pay the price.

When the boy finally reached the village gates he was met with screams of horror and accusation. 'Look at what he did! Look at what the demon did to that poor boy!' someone screamed. While others rejoiced at the state the demon was in. 'We've got to get him help!' someone else cried as they rushed off to get a doctor. Soon the boy and Sasuke were surrounded by people.' We need to get Uchiha away from that demon!' the people screamed. As they pulled Sasuke's unconscious body off of the boy. The medics soon arrived then carried Sasuke away on a stretcher.

The people turned to look at the boy before them, all their faces contorted in a mixture of fear and contempt.

"What should we do with him" they asked each other.

"I say we kill him!" someone shouted, his idea was met with approval, but then another voice stated to them a simple truth.

"Why bother? There is no need for us to dirty our hands, the demons half dead already" the crowd looked at the boy and saw that the man had been right. The boy had collapsed without them noticing, his wounds had reopened and he was now lying in a pool of his own blood an eerie smile clued to his face. The people left, let nature do the work for them they thought, they didn't need to get involved.

The boy lay on the ground unmoving, his smile not wavering, he had brought Sasuke back, he had no regrets, he had kept his promise. He didn't care what those people thought as long as Sasuke was looked after he didn't care what happened to himself. He blinked a few times his vision was getting blurry.

"Naruto" came the sound of a voice he recognised, he looked up and saw a girl who had tears falling down her face. "Did he do this to you?" she asked her voice shaky. Naruto nodded. "Naruto Why? Why did you save him? Even after he did this to you"

"Because you asked me to" was all Naruto said, before closing his eyes, never to open them again, a strange contented smile on his face.

…………………………………………………………….

I'm so proud of myself!! I made a rough version first on paper! I've never done that before! Though I can't believe I 'killed' Naruto, even if it was just in a oneshot…

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	2. Awake

"Don't die on me Naruto!" the girl screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks, as she tried to use all her previous knowledge as a medic to save her friend. Her hands glowing a visible green as she used her chakra trying to seal his wounds. She took his pulse and checked his breathing. 'It's stopped!' she thought terrified, when she realised his heart had stopped beating. She put her two hands together then began compressing his chest, putting her lips to his mouth at intervals as she gave him her own breath.

"Come on Naruto you can do this" she cried "you should be enjoying this, didn't you always want me to be your first proper kiss?" she asked her voice cracking as she leaned down to give him her breath. She continued with the process of beating down of his heart, then giving him breath for several minutes, not stopping to take a breath for herself. She checked his pulse one more time knowing that if he wasn't back by now, it was already too late. Luckily her fears were abolished when she saw the steady rise and fall in the boy's chest and felt the deep thumping as she leaned her head against his chest. She breathed a sigh relief, then frowned knowing that Naruto's life was still in danger.

She'd only sealed his wounds on the outside, there was still a lot of internal damage, he'd also lost a lot of blood, she needed to get him to Lady Tsunade. Fast. She picked up Naruto careful not make his injuries worse, put him on her back, and then she began to run, faster than she had ever run in her life.

When she found Lady Tsunade, Tsunade immediately started operating on Naruto, leaving Sakura to wait nervously outside. It was a long night of worry for Sakura; she stood outside the door the whole night, waiting for news. Finally in the early hours of the mourning Tsunade gave her the okay to come and look inside.

"How is he?" she asked quietly as she sat down on a chair next to the sleeping boy.

"He's stable, but to be quite honest I'm surprised he's even alive, with wounds like that I…there's not much more I can do, we'll just have to count on Naruto's special physiological condition" Said Tsunade, not sounding like she enjoyed the idea of counting on variables "Its up to Naruto now" she said sadly, as though already sure of the boys fate, before leaving Sakura and Naruto alone.

As soon as Lady Tsunade was gone, Sakura broke down into tears, if even Tsunade wasn't sure, then what hope was there? Was their even the slightest chance that Naruto would pull through? So many wires connected to him, doing all the things his body would normally do for him, in the end all they could rely on was the most hated thing of all. The Demon Fox and its regenerative ability, though if it weren't for the Demon Fox, Naruto might not have even been in this mess.

She remembered the day before when she had been overjoyed to hear of Sasuke's return, not even giving Naruto a second thought- besides maybe thanking him later- she had rushed to Sasuke's hospital bed and found him sitting up right in bed, cursing Naruto, saying something along the lines of wanting him to have a painful death from the wounds he'd given him. Sakura, remembering the way Sasuke had treated Naruto in the past hadn't really been worried about these comments and went down to sit next to him. The first words Sasuke said to her were full of vehemence

' I hope you and your stupid village rot in hell' after he'd said this she'd left feeling shaken and remembering Naruto asked one of the nurses if she'd seen him. The nurse had said no one had seen Naruto since he'd come back with Sasuke. Feeling slightly worried Sakura had visited Naruto's house to see if he was there, when she found no one she began to panic. That was when she met a group of joyful people, who looked quite proud of themselves.

'What are you looking so down about girl?" said one who seemed to be drunk "You should be happy, the demon fox is dead!" Sakura, knowing exactly what those words had meant, had immediately started searching for Naruto, finding him not long after in a pool of his own blood.

Sakura knew that it was partly her own selfishness that was to blame, she had been so eager to see Sasuke, that she had lost sight of her most important friend. Not thinking that he might have injured himself in the process of capturing Sasuke. She put her hands on her face, trying to block out the images of Naruto's death that flashed through her mind. It was the ignorant villagers hate that had done this, if they hadn't said those stupid things the medics would have got there in time, before the wounds became life threatening.

The door creaked open and Sakura turned to see another girl around her age appear, she had dark eyes, her cheeks wet with tears. Sakura watched as this unknown girl kneeled down leaning her head against Naruto's chest, her silent sobbing echoing through out the room.

"I came as soon as I heard" she heard the girl whisper "I've learnt this new technique, I was going to show you that I'd become stronger, that I was no longer weak. I did it all for you Naruto!" the girl continued, her tears leaking out. 'So this unknown girl loves him?' she thought bitterly, leaving the room silently to give them space, 'this girl I have never met'.

Once outside she saw that she was not alone, the entire old rookie 9 seemed to be waiting as well as Sai an unusual look of worry marring their faces, she realised that the girl before must have been Hinata from Kiba and Shino's group. They all looked up at Sakura their faces full of pity. She sat down right next to the door and sat with the rest of them silently waiting. Gradually everyone else left and Sakura went back inside to find that Hinata was sleeping. She gently shook the girl waking her up, the girl apologized and Sakura told her that it was okay to go home, she'd tell her if anything happened.

When Hinata was gone, she took hold of Naruto's hand, just to reassure herself that it still contained warmth.

"Your always worrying me aren't you Naruto?" she said quietly, smiling softly, as the tears, yet again, began to flow. "Doing stupid things like getting injured and having organisations after you, I really shouldn't be all that surprised that you came back in such a state"

"But you know Naruto you can't sleep forever, we've got missions to do, we've got to become stronger. _You've _got to get stronger so you can becomea great Hokage someday, because you promised it would happen, you said it would and you never go back… on your word" she said, her voice cracking. After all it had been a promise that had gotten them into this huge mess, if she hadn't selfishly asked him to bring back Sasuke, he wouldn't be in such a sate. He wouldn't be dying.

"Sakura? Why are you crying?" asked a familiar voice.

"Because your dying idiot!" she said, before she looking up and seeing that it was Naruto, he was finally awake.

"really?" he said looking uncertain " because i don't feel dead...Last thing i remember was seeing you then, I can't remember...So what? Have I been in coma for 5 years or something?" Sakura gave Naruto a strange look. "Well you said something about waking up didn't you? So I thought maybe it was like one of those stories where the persons in a coma for years on end...Sakura are you okay?" he asked when he realised that she seemed to be shaking.

"I'm fine Naruto" she said as she stifeled a giggle "Only you could make such a serious moment so light and comical" Sakura then started laughing uncontrolably, it was the kind of infectious laughter that made you want to join in to and soon Naruto was laughing along with her.

"Why are we laughing Sakura? I thought this was supposed to be a serious moment" he said as he cluched his side which were throbing painfully from so much laughter. "Just tell me, why were you crying?"

"Its nothing to worry about Naruto, it was just me being stupid as usual" she said smiling, her brave words not decieving him in the slightest. He could see her puffy red eyes and the dark circles that were under them.

"Hey Sakura lets make another promise" he said smiling, trying not to flinch at the pained look on Sakura's face.

"It's fine Naruto, I've had enough of promise's" she said quietly trying not to show Naruto her unease.

"It won't involve anyone else, just the two of us. What should it be though..." he said thoughtfully. "Okay! I've got one, I know this sounds cheesy but how about we promise to always come back to each other no matter what"

"That does sound cheesy, but I like it, okay I promise that I'll always come back to you Naruto"

"I promise I'll always come back to you to Sakura and I also promise that I'll become a great Hokage someday, because I never go back on my word" Sakura smiled, then leaned in close to whisper something in Naruto's ear.

"You better keep that promise" she said her eyes glowing threateningly " If you don't I'll never forgive you"

………………………………………………………………………..

Made a two shot out of it, though this second part sucks, I'm only writing it because people asked me to. The idea isn't very good and contradicts what happened in the last chapter… I'm also not sure if I ended it in the right place.


	3. Epilogue:Clown

The young woman giggled at the sight of her husband, in the grand Hokage's clothes, they really didn't suit him and made him look somewhat like a clown.

"What is it?" he asked as he nervously readjusted his hat.

"Nothing" she said smiling, giving him a light kiss on the cheek "I was just thinking about how proud I was of you" the man continued fidgeting with his hat. "Naruto, just because you're now the Hokage doesn't mean that you can ignore me" the woman said, her smile reprimanding.

"Sorry Sakura" he said as looked at himself in the mirror "I'm just nervous, that's all"

"It's not like you to be nervous" she said softly.

"Yeah well this is a big moment for me, I don't want to mess it up, I'm not even sure if anyone even wants me to be Hokage" he said, his words laced with uncertainty.

"Don't be stupid, the council all voted for you unanimously, there's no doubt that your most suited for the position"

"Yes that's right!" said Naruto; his ego inflated by his wife's reassuring words "Anyone else taking up the position wouldn't be fit for the job!"

"Naruto…try not to go overboard out there, just try spurt out something inspirational" she said, smiling at her husband's sudden enthusiasm.

"Like what?" he asked.

"I don't know, you're the Hokage, you should know this stuff!"

"Yeah your right, I'll just improvise" he said laughing, pulling his wife close to him. He looked up at his hat that had come askew "I think that now I've become Hokage, there will need to be some changes, starting with this stupid uniform" Sakura smiled in agreement.

"It makes you look ridiculous" she said, as she leaned up to give him a kiss, just then a man appeared at the door, but quickly turned away embarrassed.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt, Lord Hokage" said the man, his face a deep shade of crimson.

"It's fine Iruka and I already told you, enough with the formalities, I'm more used to being treated like an idiot by you, so what is it?" he asked his old teacher, finding it difficult to not gloat at the amount of authority he know held over him.

"The people are now ready for you"

"Ok" he said waving his hand in dismissal "Tell them I'll be with them in a few moments" the other ninja disappeared and the two were again left alone. Naruto kissed Sakura on her forehead, lightly touching her bulging belly for a moment.

"I'll see you soon" he said smiling as he opened the door, a loud cry of cheers following.

"Promise me you won't make a fool of yourself out there!" she called over the vast noise of the crowd, who waited with anticipation outside.

"I promise" he said smiling, knowing the words significance, he stepped outside of the door. Sakura heard the large uproar from the crowd and listened as they chanted her husband's name. There was no hostility, no anger, the people genuinely believed in husband. She opened the door and watched from a distance as Naruto gave his first speech as Hokage. And couldn't help but smile at all the people surrounding him, his dream had come true as well as his promise.

"Naruto" she said smiling to herself "You really don't go back on your word" she closed the door behind her, this was Naruto's moment and later he would tell her all about it, but for now she would just keep the image in her head of him smiling surrounded by the people of Konaha all eager to see him, not one face full of fear or hate.

……………………………………………………………………..

I don't understand how my oneshot turned into a two chapter story with an epilogue…


End file.
